Nails in the Jell-O

‘There are no facts in this situation. There are only rumors and things you hear from other people about other people.’

So says a veteran commercial production executive in summing up how Canadian spot shops are responding as the sag/aftra strike drags on in the u.s. This situation makes observers feel like a weatherman who can only come up with a forecast by looking out the window, but sometimes finds dirt-streaked paper tacked over that one window. If he tries to push back the paper to get a better view, he might get a rock in the head. As with any strike, there’s a whole lot of hyperbole going on, and even more lying, half-truths, threats and off-the-record comments.

The level of posturing by all concerned is spiraling. Canadian union officials insist furiously that no union members in actra or ubcp are accepting struck work. Canadian producers, happy to have some unforeseen business, hint the unions are telling them another story. Canadian government officials nod to the idea that struck work is likely in the country, but won’t comment on the record about how it’s being handled. Service providers are busy, busy, but they can’t actually say this might be struck work, because they’re afraid of the union. Actors are working, but there are ways for them to do so without violating the actra/ubcp reciprocal agreement with sag/aftra.

For instance, producers can accept the explanation the jobs come up here for the low dollar. Agencies can sign interim agreements with actors, respecting the demands made by the unions in the u.s. before the strike. They can cast non-union talent – which might be tricky if speaking parts are involved, since some people contend that most actors with dialogue experience are unionized.

So it’s obviously hard to put together for-the-record coverage – without endangering people’s safety or business prospects or both.

It took awhile before anyone would even acknowledge that unlooked-for jobs were coming to Canada, beginning late May. But then, shops that had been scratching around even for insert work suddenly started to get very busy, especially in Toronto and Vancouver, if not Montreal. This does not help their Canadian-represented directors, mind you, but definitely their production service and roadhouse personnel. Some casting agents are reportedly overflowing, to the point that they’ve rented warehouse space to hold auditions they can’t house in their own offices. There are stories of producers in one city accusing their counterparts in another of ‘stealing’ their roadhouse work. The question of what right one has to complain about losing what pro-unionists could call ill-gotten work, well that’s another matter entirely.

Is all of this another piece of ammunition for the growing war of words and protests in the runaway production debate? And will any facts ever emerge, or will the ‘facts’ remain misty while American actors’ phones stay silent? Will Canadians scrap over work that came here because the u.s. employers can’t get along with the unions, and might find no reason to do so in the future?

We’ll keep trying to remove the dirty paper. Look for more news when our On The Spot commercial production section launches July 10, with the relaunched Playback for the new millennium.